


Weakness

by alicedragons



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: (Not between the Spicyhoney boys), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bittersweet Ending, Brief violence within a relationship, Comfort ending, Crime AU, Crime boss Edge, Explicit Sexual Content, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Non-permanent break up, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Smut, Strangling (non-fatal), Violence, implied emotional abuse, surface AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-26 21:24:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17753744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicedragons/pseuds/alicedragons
Summary: He knows the truth. He knows that I could never hurt him. He knows that he’s my weakness.In Ebott City, trust is hard to come by. And perhaps even more so, is love. One has to trust to love, because to love is to show weakness. And in Edge's position, there's no room for weakness.Well, perhaps just one.





	Weakness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Paintyyy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paintyyy/gifts).



> A birthday fic for Painty! ^_^ I'm sorry it's late, Painty 🙏 Please forgive me!
> 
> This fic ultimately ends happily, but there are some dark moments. Warning for dubious consent between the Spicyhoney boys. Not so much that anyone as forced, and more that there is no clear 'yes' (however, actions may interpreted as consent, but tensions are already high between them here, thus it may also be interpreted as dub-con). 
> 
> There is also a brief bout of physical violence between them, but nothing damaging. Ultimately, they land on a happy note, there's just a touch of angst in the middle. If you'd like to skip this scene, it's the section under the second set of ********. I'll also put detailed warnings for this particular scene in the end notes.

Listening to Rus moan was a pleasure in itself. Every sound out of his mouth was soft and delicate, much like his bones beneath Edge’s hands, and his cunt beneath Edge’s tongue. It was endlessly satisfying to be able to draw each noise out of him with just a swipe of his tongue and a little concentrated magic in the right areas.

When Rus came, Edge pressed his tongue deep inside him to prolong his orgasm. He shut his eyes and listened to him whine his name. It sounded so foreign on his tongue. He was the only one who called Edge by his name, and only while they were here, in the privacy (safety) of Edge’s bedroom. Outside of here, he was Boss or Sir.

And this was the only time Edge got to enjoy Rus like this. Certainly, he’d steal a few glances at his ilia when he stretched enough for his shirt to ride up; or at his coccyx through his jeans when he walked away. But beyond these walls, they were professional acquaintances only. Rus was only as important to him as the intel he provided, and as far as he was loyal.

He sat up, wiping Rus’s magic from his mouth. Rus’s breathing was still heavy, fingers wrapped around the bedsheets. He opened his eyes and gave Edge a longing look. “kiss me,” he said breathlessly.

Edge didn’t take orders from anyone outside of this room. But here, with Rus asking, he always obliged. He slipped his tongue into Rus’s mouth and kissed him, long and deep, sharing breath and saliva. His slacks were painfully tight, and his crotch was already damp with a patch of precum. He wanted Rus. “Take off my pants,” he ordered. Rus unbuckled his belt with tremulous excitement. After freeing his cock he gave it a long stroke, brushing the head with his thumb. “Let me watch you put it in,” Edge said, his voice gravelly with arousal.

Rus’s eye-lights gleamed. He guided Edge’s cock between his folds, bucking his hips against it and dragging it over his clit. Edge breathed deeply as he watched, magic filling his mouth. “No more teasing.” His voice was a soft growl, dangerous, but gentle. “I want to be inside you.”

He felt the shudder that went through Rus. Lying back, he lifted his legs over Edge’s shoulders and Edge sank into him, all the way in one deep thrust. Rus’s pleasured cry was loud—always so loud. If this room wasn’t specially soundproofed, Edge might have scolded him for it. But on the contrary, he enjoyed it immensely.

Holding Rus’s legs in place, he settled in his position, buried deep. He smiled when Rus squirmed. “edge,” he breathed. “please move.” Edge gave a slow roll of his hips and Rus groaned.

“Oh, love…” He leaned in, hovering a mere centimetre from Rus’s mouth. “Beg me for it.”

“please,” Rus whined.

“You can do better than that.” Edge pressed his face against Rus’s neck. “ _Beg._ ”

Rus gasped. “please!”

“Louder,” Edge growled.

“please, edge!” Rus cried. “please fuck me! i need it so badly. please, i need to feel your cock buried inside me, i need—”

Edge silenced him with a kiss and pulled his hips back, then sank all the way back in. “That’s it. Mm…” He kissed Rus deeply as he thrust into him. “I love hearing you beg. Love hearing how much you want me.”

Rus gasped, clinging to Edge’s back. “i want you! i want you so much. ah!” Edge braced himself with a hand on the headboard, and fucked Rus almost feverishly, chasing his climax. Rus shut his eyes and his mouth fell open. He reached between them, rubbing his clit, and Edge felt his walls tightening around his cock. He choked out a groan and came inside him. Rus wailed, and seconds later, his cunt was convulsing around Edge’s cock while his release still filled him.

Edge held himself up, breathing heavily, then rolled off Rus and onto his back. He shut his eyes, catching his breath. Beside him, Rus was gasping softly. The moment was all too brief, and reality quickly struck. Edge got up and dressed, finding a fresh pair of slacks in his dresser. “You’re seeing the chief tonight?” he asked, eyeing Rus over his shoulder. He was still lying back, but sat up when he saw Edge watching him.

“yeah.”

“Then you’ll be back in the usual meeting spot tomorrow to report?” Rus nodded. “Good,” Edge said, buttoning his blouse.

“can i see you again tomorrow?” The question was cautious—Rus knew he wasn’t supposed to ask.

Edge decided to feign misunderstanding. “You know how this works. It’s too dangerous for me to meet you personally. I’ll send an envoy.”

“you know that’s not what i mean.”

Edge studied his reflection in the mirror. There were still traces of gold around his jaw. Residual magic from Rus’s mouth and cunt. “What do you mean, then?”

Rus sighed. “i mean like this. not for business.”

Edge didn’t answer for some time, mulling the question over before deciding that wasn’t a safe train of thought to follow. “I’ll call on you when I desire you,” he said flatly. Rus looked dejected, and Edge’s soul sank with relief… and guilt.

Sighing, Rus stood up. “why do you fuck me, edge?”

“It’s Boss. And get dressed, the cleaner will be in soon.”

Rus didn’t move. “you didn’t answer my question.”

Edge exhaled sharply. “I fuck you because I enjoy fucking you.”

“why do you enjoy it?”

Turning to look Rus in the eye, he said, “Because you have a nice cunt and you’re good with your mouth.” He waited to see the hurt in Rus’s expression before he looked away, satisfied his words had had the intended effect. “I gave you a direct order. Get dressed and go.” Rus stared at him hard, before picking his clothes up off the floor and storming out of the room, completely naked. Edge sighed heavily, but didn’t follow him. Trust him to pick the brattiest of his informants to fuck.

****

Rus was valuable, but Edge only trusted him as far as he could control him. And he couldn’t control him. Most of those who served him weren’t loyal as much as they were afraid. That was just fine. Fear was a powerful tool, and Edge utilised it well.

But Rus wasn’t afraid of him. Threatening him earned laughter and cheek, and there was no attempting to intimidate him. So no, Edge didn’t trust him. He knew how to keep him on the hook—his position meant he could afford to pay him better than most other crime families in the city, certainly more than the police could. And… sex. Though in truth, it was as much a hook for him as it was for Rus. He usually didn’t get involved intimately with the people in his network, especially not those as fickle as informants. But being with Rus sexually was just…

If felt like he was living someone else’s life. He stopped being one of Ebott’s most wanted and became someone’s lover. Someone gentle and caring. Someone compassionate. It was… unnerving, in a way, like he’d been stripped of his armour and left bare and vulnerable to attack. But in the same way, he needed it. He needed to take off his armour sometimes, and let himself breathe.

He stole moments with Rus. Usually in the weeks when the world had been crueller than normal. He’d let himself linger in the afterglow of their lovemaking, let Rus touch him, hold him, kiss him—to no effect other than his own selfish need to feel wanted. Wanted for more than just his influence or his power or his wealth.

Rus ran his fingers down Edge’s chest, the gentle touch a reflection of everything else about him. “you have a lot of scars,” he said, almost as if mesmerised by them.

Edge was of a mind to push his hand away, but he let it stay. For the same selfish reasons he kept Rus close to him in the first place. “You’re observant,” he replied sarcastically.

Rus tilted his head. “you always hide them. why?” Edge didn’t know how to answer that. Scars were a mark of strength. The remaining memories of fights won. Of power exerted over lesser monsters. Of LOVE…

And perhaps that was just why. Scars had their value, but in truth, they were as much shame as they were strength.

Edge closed his hand around Rus’s and moved it, looking at him steadily. “I want you on your knees.” Rus held his eye for a lingering second, as if he might push his line of questioning. But he smiled and slipped off the bed.

There was nothing quite like watching Rus suck him off. The care he took in his work… well, arousing only just began to cover it. Edge loved the way he shut his eyes, as if blocking out the rest of the world so he could lavish Edge in every ounce of his attention. The warm slide of his tongue over the head of Edge’s cock, so talented and precise, made him shudder.

He smoothed his palm over the back of Rus’s skull, guiding the gentle bobbing of his head. He never came up for air. Once he got started, it was like he couldn’t stop until Edge had filled his mouth with his release. He could feel Rus’s soft breaths against his pelvis and the gentle vibrations of his quiet moans.

Sometimes he’d pleasure himself with his fingers while he sucked Edge. Edge liked to watch, though it usually led to a rather premature orgasm on his part. When he got close, Rus always seemed to know. With a playful glint in his eyes, he would swallow Edge all the way and just… _hold_ him there, in the tight warmth of his throat, until he came in hot bursts. He always swallowed. Sometimes it would dribble down his chin, and Edge would wonder if it was deliberate.

It had always struck Edge as ironic that the best way to distract himself from Rus was by having sex with Rus. It was a self-destructive cycle that he couldn’t get himself out of.

Once he had filled Rus’s mouth with his seed, Rus rested his head in his lap, closing his eyes. And against his better judgement, Edge let him stay there.

****

Even in his deepest fits of LV-induced rage, Edge knew he could never really hurt Rus. Though that didn’t stop him from trying. He squeezed Rus’s neck, pressing him into the bed, and let his anger flare like an inferno. “You gave us bad intel,” he growled while Rus choked. “I lost thirty monsters last night. Good monsters. They’re all dead or going to prison. Because of _your_ information.”

Rus clawed at his hand, gasping. “i—wo—uldn’t—“

“Are you working for the police?” Edge snapped, throttling him. “Did you know that information was bad?”

Rus squirmed and kicked, shaking his head. “n—o,” he rasped out, his voice weaker than a breath of air. Edge wanted to be angry. He wanted to hate Rus. To be able to hurt him. But—

He released him with a frustrated growl and buried his face in his hands. Rus rolled over, gasping and coughing, holding onto his throat. Edge watched him, and hated that all he wanted to do was comfort him. “Your information cost us,” he said quietly.

“i didn’t know it was bad, edge, i _swear._ ” His voice was weak, and rough like sandpaper. “i would never betray you, edge. never. i—“

“How do I know you’re not lying to me? How do I know you haven’t been lying to me this entire time?” Edge ground his teeth together, his fists shaking at his sides. “You’ve served my enemies in the past. Grillby. Undyne. You’re fickle.”

Rus sobbed. “no! no, i’m loyal. to you, only you. edge, _please—_ “

“Don’t call me that!” Edge snarled, grabbing Rus by the shoulders and pinning him to the bed. Rus stared up at him, wide-eyed. “You don’t get to call me that. Ever. It’s Boss.”

Rus swallowed. “i’m loyal. i always have been…”

“No one is loyal,” Edge spat. “There’s no loyalty. Only fear.” He looked Rus in the eye. “And you’re not afraid.” _Because he knows,_ Edge thought. _He knows the truth. He knows that I could never hurt him. He knows that he’s my weakness._

And there was nothing Edge could do. He couldn’t even give his lost allies the ounce of retribution that would come from the suffering of the person responsible for theirs. _He could give it to them,_ he thought, looking at Rus. He stepped closer, forcing Rus back onto the bed, then wrapped both hands around Rus’s throat, rubbing his thumbs over his vertebrae. It would be so easy. Just a squeeze and he could sever the delicate cord of magic holding Rus’s head to his body. Rus’s HP was so pitiful, and Edge’s LV gave him a hundred times the strength he’d need to turn Rus to dust. It wouldn’t even take an ounce of effort.

Rus stared up at him, and still, there was no fear in his eyes. But there was something else. There was hurt, dejection, pain. Edge let go and shut his eyes. He knew what he had to do, and the weight of the decision was like a stone sinking in his soul. He allowed himself just a moment…

Rus trembled beneath his hands. Edge bowed his head and pressed a light kiss to the crown of his skull before turning away. “You no longer work for me,” he said quietly. He couldn’t look at Rus’s face. “We can no longer see each other.”

A soft breath left Rus. “what.”

“Leave. Now.”

“over one piece of bad intel? are you fucking kidding me, edge?” He sounded angry, and that was better than hurt. Edge could deal with anger.

“Don’t call me that,” he said calmly.

Rus stood up. “i’ll call you whatever i fucking like!” He grasped Edge’s shoulder and turned him around. “look me in the eye before you just—toss me away like trash! you—you asshole!”

Edge couldn’t. He couldn’t. He couldn’t look at him. He lowered his eyes, shaking his head. “Don’t.”

“look at me!” Rus cried, slamming his hands against Edge’s chest. The blow was weak, barely enough to move him, but it made him look up. Rus’s sockets were brimming with tears. “don’t do this to me,” he sobbed. “i love y—“

“ _Don’t,_ ” Edge growled, gripping his wrists and pushing him back onto the bed. It knocked the breath out of Rus but he didn’t fight or move. Edge stood between his legs. He shouldn’t, he knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop, didn’t want to stop…

He yanked Rus’s jeans down. “Your cunt,” he ordered, then unzipped his slacks and pulled out his cock, stroking himself to hardness.

He pushed into Rus without preparation and Rus screamed, clinging to his back. Edge pounded into him, unleashing his anguish, his hatred, his betrayal. Rus didn’t let go, holding to him until Edge growled and spilled his seed into him. He stayed inside Rus as he went soft and rubbed his clit, pulling his orgasm out of him. Rus’s body jerked with discomfort and overstimulation. He clawed at Edge’s back, trying to hold onto him, but Edge pulled away, zipping himself back up.

“You know your way out,” he said monotonously. “I don’t want to see you here again.” He didn’t wait to hear Rus’s response, didn’t look back to see his face, because if he did, he knew he wouldn’t be able to leave.

****

Months passed and Edge didn’t see Rus. ~~He certainly thought about him enough~~. He recovered from the loss of his allies, and retaliated against the family responsible. Grillby himself may not have been formidable, but money spoke louder than actions in many cases, and his supporters outnumbered Edge’s three to one.

For the moment.

Numbers didn’t make him stronger. Still, strong enough to present a threat that needed dealing with. Edge worked to dismantle his network, starting with his lowest ranked supporters. They built the bulk of his numbers. Rumours of mistreatment and underpayments travelled quickly, and soon, Grillby’s foot soldiers were flocking to Edge. He welcomed them with open arms and promises of pay—and protection. Those who harmed even the lowliest of his supporters were dealt with swiftly and brutally. ~~Perhaps more brutally than necessary but Edge thought little of it. Not anymore.~~

Once he’d dwindled Grillby’s numbers, he focused on stifling his income. He had the means to sabotage his trade routes and deliveries. The rewards of such sabotages were to be distributed among Edge’s own supporters.

Grillby retaliated, of course, but Edge’s mind was keener for battle, and he remained a step ahead. With Grillby’s supporters losing faith in him, Edge had little difficulty placing spies within his network. Slowly, he was able to pick apart his outer circles, until he was left with few he could trust. He was still a threat, and Edge knew it was best to remain wary. But for now, he had won. ~~Won what? A crumbling, heartless empire?~~

It was undeniable he’d been thriving since getting rid of Rus. His job, his operations, his network of loyalists. He was dominating the city’s underbelly, and gaining himself more support than he’d had in years. He was the city’s most powerful monster. ~~Then why did he feel so empty?~~

But more power meant more enemies, and there was a new player in the field. Muffet was clever. Cleverer than Grillby, at any rate. She played her cards well, and for a time, Edge wasn’t certain whether to treat her as friend or foe. She would be a powerful ally to have, but he knew it was too early to trust her.

One afternoon, he received an invitation. For tea. It was at her own home, according to the note, which was situated just outside the city. He considered bringing security, but decided against it. It was unlikely she intended to harm him. She was smart, and the bait would be too obvious. Bringing security would only show her he was afraid.

Nonetheless, he took precautions, alerting all his seconds and thirds where he would be going, and what to do had he not returned within a reasonable timeframe. Once all the arrangements had been made, he climbed into his car and drove.

It was strange leaving the city. Once you reached the outskirts, it was all cliffs and rolling hills and moss and sea. Muffet’s home was isolated; a cottage on the bluffs that overlooked the sea. Edge parked in the driveway and climbed out. At once, he was greeted by the bracing smell of the ocean, the air crisp and fresh. Flowers grew beneath the windowsills of the cottage, pruned and cared for, and vines crept up the walls. Edge had to wonder how Muffet managed operations within the city when she was situated so far without.

He found the door open and walked inside. It was warm and lived-in, and everything was covered in lace or silk. As he walked deeper into the house, the smell of sweets and cakes drifted through the passage, and he inhaled instinctively, before reminding himself to keep his guard up.

“We’re in the kitchen, dearie!” trilled a voice from down the hall. Edge narrowed his sockets, but kept walking. _We?_ The whistling of a teapot grew louder as he walked, as did the sound of soft voices. The first was Muffet’s, he was certain. Unsettling in its sweetness, yet exactly what he’d pictured. The second was softer, and… too familiar. The moment he set foot in the kitchen, his soul turned to ice.

Rus was sitting at the table with Muffet. He looked up when Edge entered, and a wave of emotion passed across his face for just a glimmer of a second, before he smiled. “hello, edge.”

A million possibilities sprang to mind all at once. Each more awful than the last. _Rus was working for Muffet. Rus was feeding Muffet information about him. Rus was sleeping with Muffet. Rus was sleeping with Muffet to get revenge. Rus was sleeping with Muffet because he’d moved on._

Edge tore his gaze away from Rus and looked at Muffet. She was watching him—too observantly. She was trying to gauge his reaction to Rus, Edge realised. He immediately let his features relax. He’d need to play this carefully. If he overreacted, she’d know. But if he played it too casual, she’d realise he was hiding something. He lifted a brow, glancing between the two of them. “You two know each other?” he asked indifferently.

Muffet studied him, then smiled. “Yes. We’ve grown very close of late.” She reached across the table and squeezed Rus’s hand. His smile hardly faltered, but he squirmed in his seat. Edge knew Rus’s smile. Soft and easy, with a hint of smugness—he knew it well enough to be able to tell when he was faking it. And he was. Something was off.

Taking a seat, he folded his hands on the table. “I assume you called me here for a purpose.”

Muffet waved her free hand ( ~~Edge wasn’t going to look at the one around Rus’s, he _wasn’t_~~ ). “Oh, we’ve been dancing around each other for so long, I figured it was time we finally met. And what an honour it is.”

“Please. The honour is all mine.” Edge’s flat tone made Muffet’s saccharine smile falter, but she quickly rearranged it.

Pushing a plate of sweet buns towards him, she said, “Help yourself, dearie.”

“I already ate. Thank you.” Edge allowed himself a brief glance at Rus. His cheekbones were hollower, and he had dark circles under his sockets, and a colourless complexion. As if he’d faded during their time apart. And, long as it had been, Edge knew his feelings hadn’t diminished, not even a little. His first instinct upon seeing Rus worn down like this was guilt—while he’d been prospering, Rus had been withering. “What manner of business do you wish to discuss?” he asked, turning back to Muffet.

Her hand was still on Rus’s, stroking gently. Edge wouldn’t think about it. He _wouldn’t._ ~~His mana burned~~. “Well, I suppose there’s no point tap dancing around each other like a couple of politicians—you and I have great potential as allies.”

“Allies? Against whom? Grillby? I had little difficulty dealing with him on my own.”

“Oh, dearie.” Muffet’s laughter was light and sweet. “An impressive feat, were Grillby not a complete imbecile. Though, I congratulate you on your victory.” She lifted her teacup, smiling over the rim. “But we needn’t worry about him. His strength was in money, and without it, he lacks the wit to rebuild himself.” She sipped her tea slowly, squeezing Rus’s fingers. _She wanted Edge to notice. He couldn’t give her that._ “But when one empire falls, another one rises in its place. There are always new threats presenting themselves in Ebott.”

Edge nodded grimly. “Indeed. Though, this is the first time I’ve been invited to tea by one of them.”

Muffet laughed softly. “I don’t have to be your enemy. Nor you mine. Working together, you and I could dominate the city.”

“What makes you so certain of that?”

“We both know how to take what we want.” _He had to be imagining it, but he was sure she squeezed Rus’s hand just a little tighter when she spoke._ “We’re both smart. A lot smarter than most of those would-be emperors running around the city. And we have the respect of our people.”

Edge snorted and she narrowed her eyes. “Forgive me,” he said. “But our people scarcely know you. You’re still a mere princess, playing at queen in her garden of dolls.” She studied him carefully, but betrayed no emotion. “Yes, you may have the potential for power. But as it stands, you need me more than I need you. A lot more. And frankly, I don’t think I have a lot of reason to trust you. What’s to stop you from supplanting me once you have what you want?”

She regarded him coolly, taking a measured sip of her tea. “Mutually assured destruction. You go down, I go down with you. I go down, your life turns to misery.” _Her eyes didn’t flicker to Rus. They DIDN’T._

“A fragile foundation of trust,” Edge said calmly.

“It will hold. As long as neither of us does anything reckless.” She sighed, placing her empty cup on the table. “You still hold influence over the monster community. They don’t know me, and they won’t trust me until they see that you do. Until I’ve proven myself.”

“And how do you intend to do that?”

“You’ll need my help if you want to rule this city. You can’t do it alone.”

Edge shrugged bemusedly. “I’ve managed so far.”

Muffet shook her head. “Things are changing—the players are changing. The humans—the police—they’re increasing their patrols, the lengths they’re willing to go to. They don’t want to civilise us, they want to eradicate us. I’ve worked with them. I know their strengths, the way they think. You need someone like me.”

Her words may have inspired confidence in Edge, were he not so distracted by her hands. They… wandered. Over Rus’s fingers, up his arm, onto his knee. She was toying with Edge. He knew she was. His main goal had to be not to give her a reaction. She wanted him to crack. He observed her calmly, standing up. “Perhaps, one day, I will regret turning you down. But today, I’ll go home with a clear mind and conscience.” He started walking towards the door.

“How can your conscience truly be clear, when you walk away knowingly forsaking your lover?”

Edge stopped, shutting his eyes. It was a bold move. She’d revealed all her cards now, and was calling his bluff. He turned slowly. He just. Needed to remain collected. “Past lover,” he corrected blandly, giving Rus little more than a cursory glance. “I find it rather amusing, and a little pathetic, that this is the ace up your sleeve. A past fling? Someone I bedded months ago and forgot about?” He kept his features carefully trained, deliberately avoiding Rus’s eye when he spoke.

Muffet’s lips curled. “Oh, but I beg to differ. He’s more than a mere fling, isn’t he?” She leaned close to Rus, stroking his face and wiping away a tear with her fingertip. “Isn’t that right, dearie? You’re not so easily forgotten. Well.” She looked at Edge, smiling. “He hasn’t forgotten you. As I told you, he and I have been taking the time to get to know each other. And my my, did he have a lot to say about you.”

It all clicked in Edge’s head at once. Muffet had had him from the start. She knew. She _knew_ about Rus, and it all made sense now. The gaunt look about him—she’d had her claws in him longer than Edge had thought. She’d been chipping away at him, learning all about Edge. She’d found his weak spot before he’d even had the chance to learn her strengths.

And he couldn’t hide it now. The horror. The fear. It was written across his face. He looked at Rus now—truly looked at him—and saw the fragile shell of the monster he knew and loved all those months ago. And it _broke_ him.

“Oh…” Muffet covered her mouth, tittering. “How sweet. Fear looks good on you, dearie. I could get used to it.” Her smile was so complacent, so _smug,_ Edge wanted to throttle her. She was so impressed with herself. So pleased she’d found the crack in his armour. Edge looked at Rus. At his tear-streaked face, at his fragile bones, the tremble in his hands, and all at once, he stopped caring.

“You can have whatever you want,” he said robotically. “The city. Your empire. Take it. I don’t care.” Rus’s chest heaved with a stifled sob, but Edge didn’t look at him. His gaze was trained on Muffet, who was giving him a calculating stare. Clearly, she’d been expecting more of a fight. “Give me Rus,” Edge said, “and you can have anything. You can have your empire. You can sit on your throne and rule over a city of dust. I don’t want any part of it.”

“You’d give up everything…” she said slowly. “Your whole life—everything you’ve worked so hard for. And—and for what? A back-alley Tale-verse slut with a pretty face?” She sounded almost offended at the prospect. “You’re not fooling me.”

“I pity you,” Edge said, looking at her impassively. “Almost as much as I pity myself. It’s taken me months to realise how empty this life is. How hopeless. Our kind are dying, and we can’t stop it. Those that are left of us are the powerful. The cruel. The lost. I have all the riches I could want. All the influence. The power. I sit on a throne of dead—dead _monsters_ —whose deaths I ordered as if it were nothing. As if I’ve earned my place as their leader. As if it makes me happy.” He looked at Rus and took a deep breath. “But in all those months, my soul hasn’t shone brighter than when I walked into this kitchen ten minutes ago and… and saw his face again.” Tears prickled at his sockets and he didn’t bother to wipe them away.

He looked at Muffet, turning cold. “You’ve hurt him. I should end your life for that…” For the first time, she looked fearful. As well as she controlled it, Edge could see through her mask. “In exchange for your promise to leave us be, I will let you live. If you allow me to leave with Rus—if you let us go and forget about us—you can have your life. Take the empire too if you wish, though I imagine that part will be difficult.”

“And what of the city?” The sweet touch had left Muffet’s voice. Now, she sounded angry. “What of our people— _your_ people? You’d abandon them so freely. For—for _him_?”

“I would,” Edge said without hesitation. “And I trust I’m leaving them in capable hands. But you’ll have to earn their trust yourself. And for their sake, I almost hope you fail. You may be the answer to our war against humans, but having seen today what’s inside your soul, you are not the solution to this violence and hatred. Your soul is cold.” He laughed emptily. “But I don’t think you will be unsuccessful. The people love a tyrant. I would know. Perhaps you can give them more than I have.”

He approached the table and touched Rus’s arm. Rus flinched, and Edge crouched, offering him his arms. Rus glanced at Muffet, eyes wide. But she was frozen, still contemplating Edge’s words. Edge lifted Rus into his arms and Rus clung on, wrapping his arms around his neck. Muffet watched with uncertainty as Edge left, as if trying to decide whether she ought to stop them. “Tell me,” she said when they reached the door. “How is it, that someone so weak came to rule such a formidable city?” Edge turned, looking at her without answering. She sneered. “You’re a coward. You could have anything you want. Anything in the world, and you choose a broken toy.”

Edge smiled vaguely. “Love isn’t a weakness, Muffet. Enjoy your throne.”

He put Rus in the backseat of his car so he could lie down, then drove in the opposite direction of the city. He’d turn back eventually. He knew he would. He knew he’d never truly be able to abandon his people. Even when hope was scarce. But… for now. He glanced at the backseat in his rear-view mirror, where Rus was curled in on himself. He met Edge’s gaze, and briefly his eye-lights softened. Just briefly.

The sun was golden above the sea, and Edge wound down his window to feel the spray on his face. They stopped a few miles down the road and climbed out. Rus leaned on Edge as he walked them to the precipice. They sat down, and Edge corralled Rus against him.

The wind rustled in the grass and birds called from over the water. “i’m not worth it,” Rus whispered against Edge’s shoulder. “i’m not worth everything. everything you had—everything you still have. i’m just… a weakness. i’m a burden. n-nothing to you…”

Edge hushed him, blinking back tears. They were Muffet’s words, not Rus’s. He knew that, and he almost reconsidered turning around and breaking his promise to her. Instead, he held Rus. “You’re worth more,” he said gently. “So much more than a crumbling city. You’re worth the world.” He crushed Rus against his chest, inhaling him. “I should never have asked you to leave. Life without you was… empty. I became… I became the cruel iron fist I vowed to protect monsterkind from. But you… you made me good. Vulnerable. Kind. I thought those were traits of the weak, but I was wrong.”

Rus let out a long, shaking breath and wrapped his arms around Edge, burying himself against him. Edge kissed the crown of his skull. “I’m not letting go of you again, okay? I promise.”

Rus clung to him, his tears making Edge’s shirt damp. “do you love me?” he asked in a small voice.

Edge almost wanted to laugh. “Do you still not believe it?”

“please.” Rus’s voice was a fragile whimper. “please. i need to hear you say it.”

Edge lifted Rus’s face and kissed him deeply, tasting the salt of his tears and the soft, sweet magic he’d missed so much. “I love you, Rus. I always have.”

**Author's Note:**

>  **Warning (spoilers):** Edge chokes Rus (non-sexually) after suspecting him of double-crossing him. He does no permanent damage, however. Additionally, Rus is somewhat aggressive towards Edge, but again, no damage. There's a lot of tension between them in this scene, and while Edge's manner is forceful, it is not intended to be non-consensual sex. However, there is no clear 'yes' from Rus, apart from him summoning his genitals, so it may be interpreted as dub-con.


End file.
